Night Fishing the St. Pete Bridges: A Local's Playbook
St. Petersburg's lighted bridges produce monster snook and tarpon after dark. Here's how locals fish them.
Read MoreFlorida · Tampa Bay
ST. PETERSBURG
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St. Petersburg, FL
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About
St. Petersburg Fishing
St. Petersburg juts out into Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, giving anglers unmatched access to some of Florida's most productive inshore and nearshore waters. The city's miles of seawalls, bridges, mangrove shorelines, and grass flats are prime habitat for snook, redfish, speckled trout, and tarpon. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge fishing piers and the artificial reefs scattered along the coast provide additional structure that concentrates fish year-round.
Nearshore, the reefs and hard-bottom areas off St. Pete Beach hold gag grouper, red grouper, hogfish, and mangrove snapper. Farther out, king mackerel, cobia, and permit patrol the deeper structure. St. Petersburg's vibrant waterfront culture, craft breweries, and fresh seafood scene make it easy to combine a world-class fishing trip with a memorable coastal vacation.
Fishing Calendar
What's Biting in St. Petersburg?
See which species are available each month, color-coded by activity level.
Color Key
Peak
Good
Fair
Off Season
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Inshore
|
G | G | F | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | F | G |
|
Deep Sea Fishing
|
F | F | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | F | F |
|
Nearshore
|
G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G |
|
Inshore
|
G | G | G | G | P | G | G | G | P | P | G | G |
|
Inshore
|
P | P | G | G | F | - | - | - | - | F | G | P |
|
Inshore
|
F | F | G | P | P | G | G | G | P | P | G | F |
|
Inshore
|
G | F | G | G | P | G | F | F | G | P | G | G |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | F | G | G | P | G | G | F | - | - | - |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | G | P | P | F | - | - | - | - | - | - |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | F | F | F | F | F | F | G | P | G | - |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | F | G | P | G | F | G | G | P | G | - |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | F | G | G | P | P | G | G | F | - | - |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | G | P | G | F | - | - | - | G | F | - |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | - | F | G | P | P | G | - | - | - | - |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | - | - | F | G | G | G | P | P | G | - |
|
Deep Sea Fishing
|
- | - | - | - | F | F | G | F | F | - | - | - |
Species Glossary
View Full Species Guide
St. Petersburg Fish Species
16+ species organized by fishing type. Click any species to learn more.
Inshore Species
Fish the bays, flats, and passes close to shore.
Nearshore Species
Target reefs, wrecks, and structure within a few miles of land.
Deep Sea Fishing Species
Head to deep water for big game and bottom species.
Charter Guide
Fishing Charter Types in St. Petersburg
Understanding the different charter types will help you book the perfect trip for your group.
INSHORE
Fish the bays, flats, and passes close to shore. Target redfish, speckled trout, flounder and more in calm, protected waters.
View Inshore ChartersNEARSHORE
Fish the reefs, wrecks, and structure 1-9 miles offshore. Target snapper, grouper, cobia and more over natural and artificial reefs.
View Nearshore ChartersDEEP SEA FISHING
Deep sea fishing 20+ miles out. Chase tuna, marlin, mahi mahi, wahoo and other pelagic gamefish in blue water.
View Deep Sea Fishing ChartersTROLLING
Cover water by dragging lures or bait behind a moving boat to target pelagic species.
View Trolling ChartersBOTTOM FISHING
Drop baits to the ocean floor to target snapper, grouper, and other reef dwellers.
View Bottom Fishing ChartersFLY FISHING
Sight-cast with fly rods on the flats for redfish, trout, and tarpon.
View Fly Fishing ChartersSURF FISHING
Fish from the beach or wade into the surf to target pompano, whiting, and redfish.
View Surf Fishing ChartersKAYAK FISHING
Paddle out for a more intimate fishing experience on bays and nearshore waters.
View Kayak Fishing Charters
Fishing Tips & Guides
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St. Petersburg Fishing Blog
Local insights, seasonal reports, and expert tips for fishing in St. Petersburg.
Guest Reviews
5
based on 6 reviews
St. Petersburg Fishing Reviews
Snook stacked up on the mangrove shorelines
Worked the mangrove shorelines along the west side of St. Pete with live pilchards and the snook were waiting in ambush at every pocket and point. Caught 12 snook including a 36-inch trophy that my client fought for 10 minutes. What a morning.
C
Captain Patrick
July 2025
Snook
Redfish
Tarpon at the Don CeSar — pure magic
Sight-fished for tarpon cruising the beach near the Don CeSar in St. Pete Beach. Cast live crabs ahead of pods of rolling fish and jumped four big tarpon over 100 pounds. The beach tarpon fishery here is absolutely world-class.
C
Captain Lourdes
June 2025
Tarpon
Speckled trout on topwater all morning
Hit the grass flats near Fort De Soto Park at sunrise and the speckled trout were hammering topwater plugs nonstop. Landed 22 trout including three gator trout over 24 inches. The wading flats around Fort De Soto are a trout angler's dream.
C
Captain Keith
February 2025
Speckled Trout
Redfish
Snook
Sheepshead and mangrove snapper on structure
Fished the bridge pilings and seawalls around St. Petersburg with live shrimp and fiddler crabs. The sheepshead were thick and the mangrove snapper were stacked underneath them. We filled the cooler for a big family fish fry.
C
Captain Ayesha
January 2025
Sheepshead
Mangrove Snapper
Redfish tailing on the flats near Pinellas Point
Poled the shallow sand and grass flats near Pinellas Point during a low tide and found redfish tailing everywhere. Threw gold spoons and DOA shrimp and connected on eight gorgeous copper reds. St. Pete sight-fishing is world-class.
C
Captain Franco
November 2025
Redfish
Black Drum
Kingfish and mackerel off the piers
Fished the nearshore waters off St. Pete and found king mackerel and Spanish mackerel corralling bait near the surface. Slow-trolled live greenbacks and boated six kings. The nearshore mackerel fishing out of St. Pete is fantastic in the spring.
C
Captain Diana
April 2025
King Mackerel
Spanish Mackerel
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